Rolling mill



NOV. 1945- T. v. BUCKWALTER Ei'AL 2,388,249

ROLLING MILL Filed March 12, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l z: v f aw w wATTORNEY.

Nov. 6, 1945. T. v. BUCKWALTER ETAL ROLLING MILL Filed March 12, 1940 3Sheets-Sheet 3 IMNIORS yawcmr IZZ i ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 6, "1945ROLLING MILL Tracy V. Buckwalter, Massillon, and L. Scribner, Canton,Ohio, asslgnors to The Timken Roller Bearing a corporation of Ohio Cpany, Canton, Ohio,

Appllcatlon March 12, 1940, Serial No. 323,520

12 Claims.

starting the several rolling operations may bev Our invention is animproved rolling mill for as tubes or bars to reduce and elongate spacedsections of lengths of stock at a single heat to render them suitablefor special uses, such, for example, as the manufacture of automobilefront axles as set out in the patent of'T. V. Buckwalter, No. 2,227,436,dated January '7, 1941, or the manufacture of railway car axlesrequiring a section of large diameter to receive the wheel hub at oneend of the Journal bearing and a flanged or enlarged section at theopposite end of the journal bearing.

- rolling substantially cylindrical work stock, such In its preferredembodiment, our imprbvedm.

rolling mill comprises a series of working rolls arranged about thehorizontal center line 'of the mill along which the work stockprogresses during treatment. The working surfaces of the rolls aresubstantially spheroidal or barrel shaped; their contour being generatedby the rotation of an are I about an axis of rotation. The rolls arejournalled in mountings journalled in the mill frame and turning on axesnormal to the axes of rotation of the respective rolls mounted therein.The projections of the-axes of the respective mountings intersect at apoint preferably in the horizontal center line of the mill.

One or more of the working rolls are rotated on their axes ofrotationfrom a suitable source of power so as to rotate a length of cylindricalwork stock placed between the rolls and the pressure applied thereto maybe varied by moving the mounting of one or more rolls longitudinallyalong the axis of such mounting or mountings. When the axes of all-theworking rolls are parallel with the axis of the work, or with'thehorizontal center line of the mill, the pressure is onal pressure thenexerted on the stock simultaneously squeezes the stock and imparts aforward creeping motion thereto. Consequently the channel is widened,the stock elongated, and the work advanced until the roll mountings areagain turned on their axes so that the axes of rotation of the rolls lieparallel with the mills center line. a

The straightening of the rolls, after a desired length of stock has beenrolled, is preferably effected automatically under the control of theadvance of the rolled stock without interrupting the rotation of theworking rolls which make an annular curved shoulder at the end of thereduced section. The positioning of the stock for conveniently gauged bysuitable stops movable into and cute! the path of movement of the work.The characteristic features and advantages of our. improvements willmore fully appear from the following description and the accompanyingdrawings of an illustrative embodiment thereof. In the drawings, Fig. 1is a part sectional side elevation of a rolling mill embodying ourinvention; Fig. 2 is a front end elevation thereof to which the stock isfed; Fig. 3 is a top plan View thereof; Fig. 4 is .a fragmentary rearend elevation of the skew ring; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary end elevation ofthe skew ring operating means; Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic side elevationof mecha-' nism for driving one or moreof the mill rollers; Fig. '7 is alongitudinal view of an axle blank after rolling by our improved milland according to our method; Fig, 8 is a fragmentary diagrammatic viewillustrating the beginning of the first of a series of rollingoperations in making the axle blank shown in' Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is afragmentary diagrammatic view illustrating the completion of the firstrolling operation; Fig. 10 is a fragmentary diagrammatic viewillustrating the beginning of a second rolling operation spaced axiallyfrom the initially rolled section of the work; Fig. 11 is a fragmentarydiagrammatic view illustrating the finishing of the second rollingoperation; Fig. 12 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view illustrating thebeginning of a third rolling operation on a section of the work spacedfrom the second rolled section; Fig. 13 is a fragmentary diagrammaticview illustrating the completion of the third rolling operation; andFig. 14 is a longitudinal view of a modified form of axle suitable foruse as a railway car axle.

In the embodiment of our invention illustrated in the drawings, ourimproved rolling mill has an integral main frame comprising a base I,standards or checks 2 and 3 and a cross-head 4 connecting the upper endsof the standards or cheeks 2 and 3. i

The checks 2 and 3 contain respectively boxes 5 and 6 having caps I and8 bolted thereto and forming therewith cylindrical seats for Journals 9and HIV having axes converging toward a center in the horizontal centerline of the mill. The. journals have flanged heads II and I2 which bearagainstthe ends of the boxes and have pairs of yoke-like arms l3 and I4at the ends thereof. Caps l5 and I6 are bolted to the arms l3,and II andhave concave inner faces complementary to the concave outer faces of thearms l3 and H to form cradles or pillows for the brasses l1 and I8 whichprovide bearings for pairs of end trunnions l9 and 20 of working rolls2| and 22.

The axes of the rolls 2| and 22 extend substantially parallel with thehorizontal center line of the mill and transversely to the axes of thejournals 9 and I. The surfaces of the rolls 2| and 22 are preferablybarrel-shaped or spheroidal, viz., the surface contours thereof aregenerated by the revolution of a circular are about the axis of eachpair of cylindrical trunnions l9 and 20 so that the round periphery ofthe body of each roll is convexed axially thereof.

The head 4 has bolted thereto a cap 23 and complementary concavesurfaces of the cross-head and cap form a pillow-block for theinternally threaded fixed nut or flanged box 24 which is held againstrotation within the pillow-block by dowels 25. The nut 24 has screwedtherein an externally threaded bushing 26 having a flange 21 on itslower end and a lock nut 28 on the portion thereof projecting abovethenut 24.

A stem 29 is rotatably secured in the bushing 26 by the bolt 36 and hasaflanged head 3| provided with a pair of arms 32- at the ends thereof.The top surface of the head 3| is engaged by the bushing flange 21 andthe arms 32 have concave lower faces complementary to the concave upperfaces of caps 33 bolted to the arms 32. These complementary faces formseats for the boxes or brasses 34 in which are journalled thecylindrical trunnions 35 of a spheroidal or barrel-shaped roller 36similar to the rollers 2| and 22. By loosening the bolt 36 and thelock-nut 28, the bushing 26 may be rotated to raise or lower themounting of the roller 36 without turning the stem 29 so as to vary theclearance between the rolls and permit free movement of the stockbetween the rolls or the application of any desired pressure to thestock.

Brackets 31, 36 and 89 are bolted to and project inwardly from the mainframe and support a.

track 46 containing a cylindrical peripheral gro'ove in which is seateda cylindrical ring 4|. The ring 4| has three sets of ears projecti gfrom the periphery, thereof and forming equidistant sockets 42, 43 and44 in which are housed the spherical ends of bolts 45, 46 and 41 screwedrespectively into the inner ends of the heads I2 and 3|. 48 projectingradially therefrom by which it is biased on the track so as to tend toturn the heads l2 and 3| about their axes and skew the axes of the rolls2|, 22 and 36 respectively to the horizontal center line of the mill.

One or more of the rolls 2|, 22 and 36 may be rotated in any suitablemanner, as for instance through the driving mechanism illustrateddiagrammatically in Fig. 6,'and comprising an electric motor 49 whichisconnected, through a flexible coupling 56, with a speed change boxwhich is connected through a universal joint 52 with a shaft 53. Theshaft 53 may be connected through any suitable coupling with an outertrunnion l9 of one of the rollers, as, for instance, the roller 2|. Theshaft 53 may be connected by a suitable sprocket wheel 53' and sprocketchain 54 with a suitable sprocket or sprockets, not shown, fixed to theouter ends of the trunnions of one or more of the other two rolls.Preferably, only the two lower rolls are positively driven where theupper mill roll is vertically adjustable, as in the example hereinbeforedescribed.

I When the rolls are rotated with their axes parallel to the horizontalcenter line of the mill, the

work remains stationary axially in the position to which it has beenadjusted by any suitable means, but when the rolls have been skewed bymeans of the mechanism above described so that their axes lie diagonallyto the horizontal center line of the mill the rotation of the rollsfeeds the work through the mill. To provide means for controlling theposition and for feeding of the work,

- there may be provided positioning and controlalong thehorizontalcenter line of the mill. The

oscillations of the housing are limited by the engagement of shoulders63 of the sleeve 66 with steps of a bearing 6"). A longitudinallymovable bolt or slide 65 is housed in the housing 56 and may be advancedor retracted by means of the handle 66 projecting through a slot 61 inthe housing 58, The lower edge of the slot 61 may be provided withnotches such as 68 and 68a in which the shank of the handle 66 may beseated to prevent inadvertent movement of the bolt 65.

A stop lever 69 has its hub sleevedon the shaft 6| and may be rocked bymeans of a handle 18 to move its stop face 'Il into or out of alignmentwith the path of work A traveling along the horizontal center line ofthe mill. The throw of the lever 69 is limited by the engagementofshoulders 12 with steps on-the bearing 6|c.

When the housing 58 is rocked upward so that the bolt 65 is aligned withthe horizontal center line of the machine, the front face of such boltprovides a gauge for the positioning of the work ,A in either of twopositions, determined by the location of the handle 66, and when thehousin 58 is rocked downward and the lever 69 is rocked upward the stopface II provides a third gauge for positioning work A along thehorizontal center line of the mill.

The skew controlling mechanism comprises a slide I3 slidablerectilineally in a slideway of the The ring has a weighted lever armsub-frame 51. An extension on the inner end of the slide I3 forms anupper rest 14 and a lower rest I5 for the weighted arm 48; these restsbeing connected by the inclined surface 16. When the arm 48.rests on theupper rest 14, the ring 4| is positioned to straighten the rolls, andwhen the arm 48 rests on the lower rest I5, the ring 4| is positioned toskew the rolls.

The slide I3 is manually reciprccable, to lower or elevate the arm 46,by a lever 11 which is fulcrumed on a fixed bearing I8 of the frame 56and has at the end thereof an elongated slot I9 for the pin 88 -of theslide 13. v

The slide I3 is automatically movable inward, to raise the arm 48 andstraighten the rolls, by a lever 6| fulcrumed on a fixed bearing 82 on abracket of the sub-frame 51. The work end of the lever 8| is adapted toengag and thrust a stud 83 on the slide I3 and the power end of thelever 8| is operable by a bolt or cylindrical slide 84 which islongitudinally movable in a cylindrical slideway 85 of the sub-frame 55.

The bolt 84 may be manually manipulated by a handle 86 projectingthrough a notched slot 81 in the housing. A crank arm 64a is fixed tothe inner end of the bolt 84 and the extremity of the crank arm may beturned arcuately through the handle 86 and bolt 84 into and out ofalignment with the center line of the machine and the work A movingalong such line. When the crank arm is aligned with the work, theadvance of the latter retracts thebolt 84 center line of the mill.

and rocks the lever 3| to shift the slide 13 and raise the arm 63. i

The slide II is similarly operable by a lever 33 fulcrumed on a swingingbearing 33a of the sub-frame 66. The work end of this lever is normallybiased by a spring 33 above the plane of the stud 33 of the slide 13,with the power end of the lever below the center line of the mill. Whenthe power end of the lever 33 is rocked upward into the path of anadvancing piece of work, the continued advance of the work rocks thelever 33 horizontally into engagement with the stud 63 to thrust theslide 13 into rollstraightening position.

The slide 13 is further operable by a lever 3| fulcrumed on a swingingbearing 32 of the subframe 66. This lever is normally biased by a spring33 so that its depending end 94 lies in the plane of the slide 13.Consequently when advancing work-strikes the power end of this lever,which lies normally in the center line of the mill, the slide I3 isengaged by the end 34 and shifted to roll-straightening position. Thislever may be rocked downward against the action of the spring 33 toclear the work and the slide.

In initiating the treatment of a length of tubing containing aconforming arbor or mandrel, to form an axle such as shown in Fig. 7,for. instance, the arm 36a is rocked out of, and the housing 63 isrocked into, alignment with the The bolt 66 is advanced toward therollers and the handle 66 is latched in the notch 63. The slide 13 isinits forward position, so that th arm 43. rests on the upperseat 14 andthe axes of the rolls 2|, 22 and 36 are substantially parallel with thecenter line of the mill. The roll 36 is elevated to permit the passageof the work or tube A between the rolls into abutting relation to theend of the bolt 65. This leaves a section from B to the end of the tubeA extending beyond the working surfaces of th rolls.'

The roll 36 is gradually fed downward by turning the bushing :26 andpower is applied to the rolls 2| and 22 to rotate the rolls andtherethrough rotate the work and upper roll. When an axiallyarcuately-concave channel of desired depth has been rolled (Fig. 8), thehousing 63 is rocked out of alignment with the work and the bolt 34 isshifted to align the extremity of the arm 34a with the end of the workA. The lever 11 is rocked to shift the slide I3 outwa'rd so that theweighted lever slides down the incline 16 onto the'lower rest I5,thereby turning the ring 4| and skewing the rolls 2|, 22 and 36 so thatthe rolling pressure of their spheroidal surfaces is applied diagonallyof the axis of the work, which is thereby fed through the mill and thechannel elongated (Fig. 9),until the move-. ment of the bolt 34 by thework A rocks the lever 3| sufficiently to move the slide 13 intorolltraightening position. v The straightened rolls and work continue torevolve to form an annular concave shoulder at the position 0.

The arm 34a is then swung out of alignment with the work by rocking thebolt 34 and the bolt 65 is retracted until the handle 66 lies at therear end of its slot 65; The housing 63 is then rocked into alignmentwith the work. The

the position D spaced from the shoulderat the position C. The depth ofthe channel rolled at D may be greater, less or the same as the depth ofthe-channel from B to C. when the channel is of desired depth, thehousing 63 is rocked out of alignment with the work and the lever 11 isrocked to move the slide 13 into roll-skewing position.

The work A is again fed forward by the diagonal rolling pressure of therolls until the end of the tube A abuts against the lever 33, which ismanually lifted into the plane of the work and is rocked by'the latterto shift the slide 13 into roll-straightening position (Fig. 11) andform a curved annular shoulder at E.

The lever 33 is then depressed, the lever 63 is rocked inward, the roll36 is elevated and the work is advanced into abutment with the stop H.The roll 36 is then fed downward to cause the rolls to roll a channelwith a shoulder at F, and, when this channel is of desired depth, thelever 11 is rocked to skew the rolls. The work is thereupon caused tocreep forward by the diagonal pressure of the spheroidal surfaces of therolls until the forward end of the work rocks the lever 9| and moves theslide 13 into roll-straightening position, thereby causing the rollstoroll a curved annular shoulder at G. The roll 36 is then raised andthe lever 9| is rocked in a vertical plane to permit removal of thework, which has an unrolled section between the shoulder at G and theend of the tube.

The unrolled sections of the tube may be fabricated as in said PatentNo. 2,227,436.

By suitable adjustments of the stops, skewing mechanism and the descentof the roller 36, a tube may be rolled on our mill by the general methodabove described to form an axle blank such as shown in Fig. 14 havingunrolled end sections flared outwardly and intermediate unrolledsections suitable for wheel hub seats. 7

Many other uses for our improved apparatus will suggest themselves tothose skilled in the art.

While it is preferable that the feeding of the stock to effect theelongationof therolled channels be effected by skewing the rolls, it ispossible to advance the work through the rolls by applying pressurelengthwise of the work while the spheroidal rolls are in their straightposition and to thereby elongate the rolled channels without skewing throlls.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. A rolling mill comprising a frame, a plurality of roll-mountingsjournalled in said frame and having axes normal to the work axis of themill and converging toward a common point, a working roll having a.working portion and Journals journalled in each of said mountings andhaving an axis of rotation transverse to the axis of its mounting, theaxis of each mounting being between the extremities of the workingportion of the roll journalled in such mounting, and rotatable meansconnected with the respective meuntings by spherically headed boltsextending substantially parallel to the axes of rotation of said rollsfor turning them upon their respective axes transverse thereto.

2. A rolling mill comprising a frame, a series of roll-mountings eachhaving a journal journailed in said frame and each journal having anaxis intersecting, when produced, the produced axis of another mounting,a working roll having end journals journalled in each mounting on'opposite sides of the journal thereof and having an axis of rotationtransverse to the axis of its mounting, a rotatable ring, and couplingsextending substantially parallel with said axes of rotation andconnecting said ringwith the reof roll-mountings having journalsjoumalled in said frame and having'axes radiating from a common center,each of said mountings having arms projecting laterally from. itsjournal, a working roll journalled in the arms of each of said mountingsand having an axis of rotation transverse to the axis of its mountingand an axially convexed working periphery, and means for moving one ofsaid mountings longitudinally threaded sleeve concentric with said lastnamed axis, said sleeve housing a portion of said mounting and bearingagainst a surface thereof adjacent to said arms.

4. A rolling mill having means including working rolls having axesmovable into positions parallel with or diagonal to the work axis, saidrolls automatically feeding work through said mill along the work axiswhen the axes of the working rolls are diagonal to the work axis,roll-skewwork axis for checking the feed of said work withoutinterrupting the action of the rolls on the work, and driving means forrotating one of a the rolls to roll the work.

5. A rolling mill comprising a series of working rolls each having anaxis of rotation substantially parallel to the direction of movement ofworkbetween them, a mounting for each roll-having a turning axis normalto theaxis of rotation of its roll, roll-skewing mechanism for turningsaid mountings to skew the rolls and thereby advance work in thedirection aforesaid, and an actuator in the path of and operable by workso advanced to rotate said mechanism and turn said mountings.

6. A rolling mill comprising a series of working rolls having axesof-rotation and movable about axes transverse to their respective axesof rotation, roll-skewing mechanism for turning said rolls on the axessecond named to positions with their axes of rotation either parallel toor diagonal to the work axis, said, rolls in said parallel positionhalting the axial movement of work acted on by said rolls withoutinterrupting the rotation of said rolls on their axes first named, andsaid rolls in said diagonal position feeding work through the mill, anda series of members engaged in sequence by work advanced by said rollswhen in said diagonal position, said members being operatively connectedwith said roll-skewing mechanism to turn said rolls to said parallelposition and halt the advance of the work.

'7. A rolling mill having a series of working rolls having axes ofrotation and movable about axes transverse to their respective axes ofrotation, and means for turning said rolls about said axes second namedand including a rotatable ring flexibly connected with the respectiverolls, a slide controlling the movements of said ring, and

.of the axis thereof and including an externally a rocking device in thepath of and movable by work emitted from said mill for moving saidslide.

8. A rolling mill comprising a series of working rolls having axes ofrotation and movable about axes transverse to their axes of rotationrespectively, a series of stops movable into and out of the path of workemitted from the mill, and

means including a series of devices movable into and out of the path ofwork emitted from the mill for controlling the turning thereof aboutsaid axes second named.

9. A rolling mill comprising a series of workv ing rolls having parallelaxes and disposed about a center line, at least one of said rolls havinga circular periphery axially convexed; and mounting means for movingsaid last named roll toward and from said center line and including ayoke encircling the opposite ends of said roll and a shank between saidends, an exteriorlythreaded rotatable sleeve surrounding-and concentricwith said shank and bearing against said yoke and an interiorly threadednut supporting said sleeve.

10. A rolling mill comprising a series of working rolls having theiraxes substantially parallel to one another; mountings for said rollshaving journals tumable about axes disposed substantially radially tothe axis of work acted on by said rolls; and mechanism for moving one ofsaid mountings toward and from the axis of the work and including afixed threaded nut, a housing threaded in said nut and encircling thejournal of said last named mounting, a lock nut threaded on said housingand engaging said first nut, and a stern suspended from said housing andsupporting said mounting.

11. A rolling mill comprising a frame, a series of roller mountingshaving journals joumalled in said' frame and hearings on opposite sidesof said journals, working rolls having journals jour nalledin saidmounting bearings and worhng portions between said bearings, saidworking portions being axially convexed, and skewing mechanism forturning said roller mountings about the axes of their journals to feedor stop the feed of work along the working axis of said mill by theworking portions of said rolls, said skewing mechanism including a ringrotatable about an axis concentric with the working axis of said saidframe and hearings on opposite sides of said journals, working rollshaving journals journalled in said mounting bearings and Workingportions between said bearings, said worlnng portions being axiallyconvexed, and skewing mechanism for turning said roller mountings aboutthe axes of their journals to feed or stop the feed of work along theworking axis of said mill by the working portions of said rolls, saidskewing mechanism including a ring rotatable about an axis concentricwith the working axis of said mill, couplings between said ring and saidmountings, and a plurality of actuators-axially spaced along the path ofwork passing through said mill to periodically skew and straighten saidrolls during the passage of work between them.

- TRACY V. BUCKWALTER.

WILLIAM L. SCRIIBNER.

